Scientists have found that small to moderate alcohol consumption can be good for the body and mind.

Drinking one glass of wine a day for women and two glasses for men has been proven to have various health benefits including boosting your brain, although consuming large amounts of alcohol has several negative effects.

We’ve looked at some of the research and discovered three benefits from drinking a small to moderate amount of alcohol.

Protects your heart

Experts have always known that drinking a small to moderate amount of alcohol is good for your heart, but recently published research has actually shown how alcohol works with the body to build up the heart’s strength.

Scientists found that when people drink, the body produces an enzyme which breaks down the toxic parts of alcohol and these enzymes are the same ones the body uses to protect the heart following major damage after a heart attack.

So, exposing the heart to low levels of alcohol effectively trains the body to create the enzymes needed to protect your heart.

Boosts your brain

Studies have shown that small to moderate consumption of alcohol can improve the function of the brain and make it less likely you’ll experience memory loss later in life.

Scientists are still trying to fully work out how small amounts of wine, spirits and beer benefit the brain, but it could be due to alcohol reducing inflammation.

Alcohol has also been found to improve the function of the glymphatic system which removes waste products from the brain and enhances overall brain health.

Helps you live longer

Another unexpected benefit of drinking a small to moderate amount of alcohol could be a longer life.

Although more study is needed, some researchers suggest a link between alcohol and living longer can also be seen in the known benefits of the so-called ‘Mediterranean diet’.

Red wine is said to be the most beneficial in this regard because of an antioxidant compound called resveratrol which is found in the skin of red grapes and is known to have anti-aging and anti-inflammatory properties.

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Despite these benefits though, experts caution that excessive consumption of alcohol has been linked to several serious psychological and physical illnesses including addiction and cancer.

Therefore, even though drinking in moderation might be beneficial, you should remember that there are many other ways to keep your body and mind healthy.

Sources: The Mayo Clinic / Livestrong.com / Science Daily / Medical News Today / University of East Anglia